University of Kentucky UKnowledge Theses and Dissertations--Political Science Political Science 2017 THE STATE HOUSE AND THE WHITE HOUSE: GUBERNATORIAL RHETORIC DURING THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION Austin Peyton Trantham University of Kentucky, [email protected] Digital Object Identifier: https://doi.org/10.13023/ETD.2017.435 Right click to open a feedback form in a new tab to let us know how this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Trantham, Austin Peyton, "THE STATE HOUSE AND THE WHITE HOUSE: GUBERNATORIAL RHETORIC DURING THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION" (2017). Theses and Dissertations--Political Science. 23. https://uknowledge.uky.edu/polysci_etds/23 This Doctoral Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Political Science at UKnowledge. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations--Political Science by an authorized administrator of UKnowledge. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STUDENT AGREEMENT: I represent that my thesis or dissertation and abstract are my original work. Proper attribution has been given to all outside sources. I understand that I am solely responsible for obtaining any needed copyright permissions. I have obtained needed written permission statement(s) from the owner(s) of each third-party copyrighted matter to be included in my work, allowing electronic distribution (if such use is not permitted by the fair use doctrine) which will be submitted to UKnowledge as Additional File. I hereby grant to The University of Kentucky and its agents the irrevocable, non-exclusive, and royalty-free license to archive and make accessible my work in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I agree that the document mentioned above may be made available immediately for worldwide access unless an embargo applies. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of my work. 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Austin Peyton Trantham, Student Dr. Richard Waterman, Major Professor Dr. Justin Wedeking, Director of Graduate Studies THE STATE HOUSE AND THE WHITE HOUSE: GUBERNATORIAL RHETORIC DURING THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION DISSERTATION A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Kentucky By Austin Peyton Trantham Lexington, Kentucky Director: Dr. Richard Waterman, Professor of Political Science Lexington, Kentucky 2017 Copyright © Austin Peyton Trantham 2017 ABSTRACT OF DISSERTATION THE STATE HOUSE AND THE WHITE HOUSE: GUBERNATORIAL RHETORIC DURING THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION What is the importance of political speechmaking? Do state governors discuss presidential priorities? This study addresses these questions by analyzing the contents of annual State of the State addresses given by governors from 2012 to 2014 during the presidency of Barack Obama. A descriptive paper provides evidence that governors primarily discuss employment and economic issues in their addresses, are discussing greater number of policy issues than in previous decades, and are delivering their address before the presidential State of the Union message. Examining health care and immigration policy in separate empirical papers, I theorize that contextual factors, including legislative partisanship, public approval, and presidential influence may affect the extent to which policies supported by the Obama administration are rhetorically referenced by governors. Empirical analyses found limited support for the influence of divided government, but demonstrated significant evidence for the importance of including state-centric factors, including annual employment rate and proximity to Mexico, as well as temporal effects, into future analyses of gubernatorial rhetoric. KEYWORDS: Governor, President, Rhetoric, Affordable Care Act, Medicaid, Immigration Austin Trantham November 16, 2017 THE STATE HOUSE AND THE WHITE HOUSE: GUBERNATORIAL RHETORIC DURING THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION By Austin Peyton Trantham Dr. Richard Waterman Director of Dissertation Dr. Justin Wedeking Director of GraduateStudies November 16, 2017 DEDICATION To my parents, David and Vikki. To my wife, Stephanie. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I could have not have undertaken a project of this magnitude without the assistance and guidance of many scholars that I have had the privilege to meet while at the University of Kentucky. Richard Waterman began as my advisor and professor, yet quickly became a friend and confidant. His caring personality, continual encouragement, and desire to improve my academic growth are ideal components to an enriching faculty- student relationship. I can confidently state that my dissertation would not have been completed without his guidance, and I hope to follow in his path as a scholar-mentor. The other members of my advisory committee, Justin Wedeking, Ed Jennings, Nicolai Petrovsky, and Alan DeSantis provided invaluable guidance on various drafts and revisions of the project, and each has taught me the value of positive mentorship. I would be remiss without thanking Morris Grubbs, Bill Swinford, David Sacks, Winfield Rose, Paul Foote, Deidre Redmond, and Winston Wells. All provided needed encouragement at various points on my journey to a doctorate. The dissertation’s methodological sections benefitted from Yu Ouyang’s knowledge of statistical methods and desire to assist me in mastering needed concepts. Finally, a note of appreciation goes to John Poe, who was always willing to discuss our shared interest in developing sound pedagogical practices while openly encouraging my development as a scholar throughout my time in the graduate program. This dissertation project has benefitted from the contributions of many individuals, however those closest to me deserve special recognition. My wife, Stephanie, exudes confidence and compassion in her daily life, and her intellectual capabilities are only surpassed by her caring heart. This project has greatly benefitted from her attention to detail, patience, and understanding. My parents, David and Vikki, are the definition of selflessness and have never wavered in their support throughout my life and entire graduate school career. Consistently making sacrifices in the pursuit of my professional goal for nearly a decade, they have shown me what love is. Each day, I strive to emulate their example iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgments............................................................................................................ iii List of Tables .................................................................................................................... vii Introduction: Presidents and Governors in Political Time ................................................... 1 The Purpose of the Study ................................................................................................. 4 The Comparative Method ................................................................................................ 7 Description of Study Population ...................................................................................... 8 The Structure of the Dissertation ..................................................................................... 9 Paper One: Analyzing Executive Speechmaking............................................................... 12 Why Rhetoric? ................................................................................................................ 13 The Rhetorical Presidency .............................................................................................. 16 Going Public: The Rhetorical Presidency in Practice ................................................ 17 Staying Private: Opposing the Rhetorical Presidency ................................................ 21 Influences on the Rhetorical Presidency .................................................................... 24 Governors and Rhetoric.................................................................................................. 28 Description of Methodology .......................................................................................... 31 Descriptive Analysis of Gubernatorial Rhetoric ............................................................ 34 First Issues in State of the State Addresses ................................................................ 34 Total Issues in State of the State Addresses ............................................................... 36 Timing of State of the State Addresses ...................................................................... 39 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 40 Paper Two: The Affordable Care Act: A Comparison of Presidential and Gubernatorial Rhetoric .............................................................................................................................. 60 The 2008 Presidential